Can opener



Dec. 23, 1958 J. F. MAHONEY 2,865,095

CAN OPENER Filed July 18. 195e l /Z 14 &0 )f 4a (/4 1:76. a.

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CAN OPENER James Frances Mahoney, Manchester, N. H. Application July 18, 1958, Serial No. 749,375

3 Claims. (Cl. 30-16) The present invention relates to a can opener for cutting or shearing the top portion of a can.

An object of the present invention is to provide a can opener which lends itself to eiiiciently cutting or shearing a semicircular opening into the top of a can around the inner peripheral surface of the `cans outer wall.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a can opener which lends itself to the cutting or severing of a can top for la length substantially equal to one-third of the circumference of the can top.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a can opener which is readily attached to and detached from -a can, one simple in structure, one sturdily constructed and having long-life characteristics, and one which is highly effective in action.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be fully apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the annexed drawing, in which:

Figure l is a bottom plan view of the can opener according to the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational View;

Figure 3 is a view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional view showing the cani opener in use, a can being indicated in dotted lines; an

Figure 5 is a top plan View of a can having its top cut or severed by the can opener of the present invention showing the length of cut in the can top. v

Referring in greater detail to the drawing in which like numerals indicate like parts throughout the several views, the can opener of the present invention is deignated generally by the reference numeral 12 and consists in a flat elongated handle 14 having a head 16 in the form of a sector positioned transversely of the handle 14 adjacent one end 18 of the latter and having the concave face facing the handle other end.

The head 16 is tixedly secured or formed integrally with the handle 14 at the midpoint of the head 16.

The head 16 has positioned below it a blade 20 contiguous to and adjacent the concave face of the head 16, the blade 2t) having its upper end formed integrally with and fixedly attached to the portion of the head 16 adjacent the concave face. The lower end of the blade 29 has a cutting edge in which there is a point 22 at the midportion of the blade 2li with the edge on each of the opposed sides of the point 22 tapering toward the respective sides of the blade 20.

The head 16 is provided with an upstanding hook 24 conformably shaped to a sector and positioned outwardly of the blade 20 and adjacent the convex face of the blade 20. The hook 24 is inwardly turned and is formed integrally with or dependingly secured to the portion of the head 16 adjacent the convex face of the latter.

The lower end of the hook 24 is spaced above the point 22 of the blade 20 although the blade 20 slopes upwardly `and outwardly from the point 22 to a terminating point United States Patent 0 Patented Dec. 23, 1958 most clearly in Figure `3.

An important' feature of the presentinvention resides inthe fact'-thatv tlie'blade 20 is intlle form ofal sector having a predetermined radius smaller than the predetermined radius of the hook 24. This allows the user of the can opener of the present invention to engage the hook 24 under the bead 26 of a can 28 (Figure 4) with 'che can 28 of a size to conformably tit Within the hook 24 or of a size smaller than the circle defined by the hook 24, such circle being shown in dotted lines in Figure 1 and designated by the reference numeral 30. The size of the can 2S may vary from the size indicated by the circle 30 to a size smaller indicated by a second circle 32 which has a radius substantially that of the blade 20.

In use, when the can 28 has a diameter of a size to conform to the radius of the blade 20, the can 23 will have its top severed by the can opener 12 along the line adjacent the periphery, as shown in Figure 5 and with such line being designated by the cut edge of the top at 34.

It will be noted that the length of such line or cut edge of the top is substantially degrees or a third of the circumference of the can 28.

Obviously, when the can opener 12 is used to cut the top of a can having a diameter greater than the circle deiined by the blade 26, the top of such can will be severed along the sector-shaped line having a radius less than the radius of a circle defined by the perimeter of such can.

The end 36 of the handle 14 remote from the head 16 is provided with a hook 38 for opening other types of containers such as bottles, pressure-type jar lids and the like. Also, the portion of the handle 14 adjacent the end 36 is provided with a hole 40 for hanging the can opener 12 of the present invention upon a protruding support element such as a nail or' screw secured in a vertical surface.

What is claimed is:

1. A can opener comprising van elongated handle, a head in the form of a sector positioned with the concave face facing toward said handle transversely of said handle adjacent one end of said handle and xedly secured at its midpoint to said handle one end, an upstanding blade conformably shaped to a sector positioned below said head adjacent the concave face of said head and having the upper end iixedly attached to the portion of said head adjacent said head concave face, and an upstanding hook conformably shaped to a sector positioned outwardly of said blade and adjacent the convex face of said blade and dependingly secured to the portion of said head adjacent the convex face thereof.

2. A can opener comprising an elongated handle, a head in the form of a sector positioned with the concave face facing toward said handle transversely of said handle adjacent one end of said handle and xedly secured lat its midpoint to said handle one end, an upstanding blade conformably shaped to a sector positioned below said head adjacent the concave face of said head and having the upper end xedly attached to the portion of said head adjacent said head concave face, and an upstanding hook conformably shaped to a sector positioned outwardly of said blade and adjacent the convex face of said blade and dependingly secured to the portion of said head adjacent the convex face thereof, the lower end of said blade having a cutting edge in which there is a point at the midportion with the edge on opposed sides of the point tapering toward the respective sides of said blade.

3. A can opener comprising an elongated handle, a head in the form of a sector positioned with the concave face facing toward said handle transversely of said han- 4 formably shaped to a sector having a radius different than the radius of said blade positioned outwardly of said blade and adjacent the convex face of said blade and dependingly secured to the portion of said head ad- 5 jacent the convex face thereof.

No references cited. 

